tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19814882087781258222024-03-14T10:49:50.098-07:00Politic channelsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.comBlogger501125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-78298030245242378112014-10-13T05:51:00.000-07:002016-09-12T05:21:04.764-07:00Arguing the Cuban EmbargoCar Service New York and Limo Service New York provided by NYCairportsLimo.com from Manhattan to Upstate New York, Westchester, Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. NYC Airports Limo use limos and luxury cars for <a href="http://www.nycairportslimo.com/new-york-car-service/">New York Car Service</a> from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, EWR, Philadelphia and Long Island MacArthur Airport. NYCairportsLimo is specializing in Airport Car Service from Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island to JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, ISP and PHL Airports.<p>Limousine Service in CT and Car Service in CT are provided by CTairlink in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty Airports. CT Airlink use Luxury Vans, Sedans, SUVs, Shuttles and Motor Buses for <a href="http://www.ctairlink.com/">Limousine Service CT</a> and Limo Service in Connecticut including Manhattan Cruise Terminal in NY, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal - New York, Bayonne Cruise Terminal in NJ, Atlantic City Casinos - New Jersey, Mohegan Casino and Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut by CT Airlink Limo.<p>Carlos Alberto Montaner <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/10/12/should-the-us-normalize-relations-with-cuba/cuba-doesnt-deserve-normal-diplomatic-relations" target="_blank">explains why</a> the United States should maintain the embargo and not normalize relations with Cuba. It rests on four pillars, which are so easily undercut that the logic topples down.<br /><br />1. We can't do so because Cuba on the state sponsor of terrorism list. I see. Well, since it is <a href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2014/05/cuba-as-state-sponsor-of-terrorism.html">well documented</a> that Cuba shouldn't be on the list, then just take them off. North Korea isn't even on it.<br /><br />2. Cuban American members of Congress speak for every single Cuban American in the country, and they like the embargo, so it should stay. I am not joking--he really argues this. Discard.<br /><br />3. Cuba actively tries to undermine the interests of the United States. If so, it's quite bad at it. I can't think of anything the U.S. has done for many years that the Cuban government has been able to undermine.<br /><br />4. Normalizing relations would signal to the Cuban government that they don't need to reform. The problem with this argument is that the embargo sends that message even more strongly. If anything, normalizing gives the Cuban opposition more space--especially economically--than they would otherwise have.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-57876364292708540252014-10-12T05:28:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.245-07:00Bolivia's Economic SuccessThe Wall Street Journal has <a target="_blank" href="http://m.wsj.com/articles/SB11654999735662454609104580204890792164692?mobile=y&mobile=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB11654999735662454609104580204890792164692.html">a story</a> (in Spanish) about Luis Alberto Arce, the Minister of Economy and Public Financing in Bolivia. With a picture of Che in his office, he oversees a conservative approach to the economy, which has allowed for growth, foreign investment AND poverty reduction.<br /><br />In the United States, we mostly hear about how Evo Morales makes some speech criticizing the United States, or even how he's just one of the clones of the Latin American left. Yet with help from people like Arce, he's brought unprecedented stability to Bolivia--truly amazing when you consider it in historical perspective.<br /><br />Arce is also one of the rare people to get favorable coverage in the WSJ and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Fair-Distribution-of-Wealth-is-Basis-of-Economy-Says-Bolivia-Finance-Minister-20141011-0007.html">TeleSur</a>, each emphasizing their own particular slant. No small feat.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-41238769566011368952014-10-09T13:53:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.253-07:00U.S. and Latin American Relations UpdateI just submitted the revised manuscript of the 2nd edition <i>U.S. and Latin American Relations </i>to Wiley (my last update on the book <a href="http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-border-unaccompanied-children">was a month ago</a>). I had three excellent reviewers, who will see the fruits of their considerable labor. There wasn't much overhaul but a <i>lot</i> of small things added up--I also switched the order of two chapters.<br /><br />I've already been trying to address various permissions issues (for photos and primary documents) and now we hopefully will be able to move forward fairly quickly. But there are still various tasks to complete:<br /><br />1. Permissions get finalized.<br />2. The manuscript will have to be formatted and copy-edited.<br />3. I go over all the copy-edits<br />4. I get a fresh set of page proofs and make an index<br />5. We agree on cover art<br /><br />Looking back, I see that it was exactly <a href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2013/10/us-and-latin-american-relations-2nd.html">one year ago</a> that I signed the contract with Wiley and started work. There has been a lot of intense work since then.<br /><br />This will be out in 2015, likely spring, knock on wood! It will be fun to see it in print so many years after the first edition was published. If you want a taste, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Latin-American-Relations-Gregory-Weeks/dp/0321276248">go buy a cheap used old edition</a> and see if you would be interested in having it all updated and expanded.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-17201315266623039352014-10-09T08:10:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.306-07:00Central Planning and Big Data in Allende's Chile<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/13/planning-machine">Simply fascinating article in <i>The New Yorker</i></a> about consultant Stafford Beer being invited to Chile to help the Salvador Allende government set up what we would now call a "Big Data" project to coordinate central planning. It is based on Eden Medina's book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cybernetic-Revolutionaries-Technology-Politics-Allendes/dp/0262525968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412780421&sr=8-1&keywords=eden+medina">Cybernetic Revolutionaries</a></i>, which I have not read but should.<br /><br />The idea was science fiction-like. You would sit in a futuristic chair--of course equipped with ash tray and glass holder--in a room with screens, which would feed constantly updated data about production, supplies, etc. and even allowing for quick projections of the probable effects of your decisions before you commit to them. "La vía chilena" would therefore be as scientifically based as possible. It never actually worked, in part because of the difficulties inherent in such a project but also because the Allende government had so little time in office.<br /><br />It made me think of how interesting a comparison would be between different efforts at central planning, and what kinds of political and economic impacts those strategies had. Both Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez seemed much more whimsical, focused on their gut feelings.<br /><br />h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/HealeyParera/status/519863944442564609">Mark Healey on Twitter</a>somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-86769726962824438472014-10-08T16:31:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.314-07:00Textbook SkypingToday I skyped with a class on U.S.-Latin American relations that is using my book, which was fun (even though I am slowly getting over a cold and had a brief coughing fit in the middle!). I know anecdotally that people (instructors and students) who use one of my books often check out my blog, so I want to let you know I am more than happy to do the same if you're interested. I love engaging with students who are reading my stuff--it likely will sound terribly cliche, but they're the ones I'm really writing for. Just shoot me an email.<br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-788123852680531342014-10-08T07:05:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.372-07:00Interview on Understanding Latin American PoliticsIf you want to hear me talk about my book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Latin-American-Politics-Gregory/dp/0205648258">Understanding Latin American Politics</a></i>, <a href="http://newbooksinlatinamericanstudies.com/2014/10/08/gregory-weeks-understanding-latin-american-politics-pearson-2014/">here is the link</a> to an interview I did with <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonToBrazil">Keith Simmons</a> for New Books in Latin American Studies. Incidentally, it is not what I normally sound like--I am slowly getting over a cold that left me hoarse.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-4361182198203487302014-10-08T03:35:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.380-07:00Cuba and the SummitDan Restrepo has an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article2563649.html">op-ed in the Miami Herald</a>, taking Latin America to task for focusing so much on Cuba for the 2015 Summit of the Americas. <br /><br /><blockquote>With proper preparation, the summit presents an opportunity for others in the region to also be more creative and hopefully more effective in defending the basic rights of the Cuban people as well as of others across the Americas.<br /><br />Doing so will require Latin American leaders to unmoor themselves from domestic political calculation, vanquish historical ghosts and let go of unrealistic desires to go down in history as the person who bridged the divide across the Florida Straits.</blockquote><br /><br />The funny thing is that U.S. leaders refuse to unmoor themselves from domestic politics, continue living in the past (something the embargo embodies) and create strong incentives for Latin American presidents to obsess on Cuba. So Restrepo is asking Latin America to do precisely what we won't.<br /><br />I agree that the region should be more critical of human rights in Cuba and that the summit should move past Cuba and into more substantive areas. Although the Obama administration could help with that, it likely won't.<br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-29720156600167225832014-10-07T06:50:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.435-07:00Interpreting Latin America's SlowdownLatin America's economic growth is slowing. By chance I happened to see two accounts that use the same variables but come to completely different conclusions. So the <i><a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/latin-american-growth-to-slow-world-bank-says-1412654467">Wall Street Journal</a> </i>and a <a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Latin-Americas-Made-in-USA-2014-Recession-20141007-0006.html">political economist writing for Telesur</a> both say the slowdown is due in large part because of China's decreased demand for commodities and the United States winding down its stimulus.<br /><br />The WSJ conclusion is mostly "glass half full":<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is a silver lining to the slowdown. After decades of going through debt-fueled booms followed by costly busts, the current downturn appears to be part of a more conventional business cycle, which the World Bank describes as an “unprecedented experience” for the region. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“That is good news because the bust is very bad for equality, very bad for growth and can set the region back several years,” Mr. de la Torre said.</blockquote><br />The Telesur conclusion is conspiratorial and even apocalyptic:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">It should also be noted that certain recent USA government policies have also been exacerbating Latin America’s emerging recession. The USA is taking advantage of the emerging recessions in Latin America to put additional economic pressure on two of the region’s most important economies: Argentina and Venezuela. This further destabilization suggests that the USA may be ‘turning’ again toward a focus on Latin America in an effort to reassert its hegemony in the region and to roll back the progressive developments and governments there that have arisen in recent years. But how the USA is now attacking both Argentina and Venezuela—i.e. by defending the vulture capitalist hedge fund billionaires in the case of Argentina debt payments and by working with US multinational corporations to artificially create a dollar shortage and runaway inflation in the case of Venezuela in a USA effort to still further destabilize the slowing economies of both countries—s the subject of a subsequent essay and analysis.</span></blockquote><br />Take your pick!somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-21003237825903512802014-10-06T11:39:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.443-07:00Chile Taking on BoliviaThe Chilean Foreign Ministry put together a short video outlining why Bolivia has no legitimate claim at the International Court of Justice for the land lost as a result of the War of the Pacific.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/foPjN30vvRs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br />It's a frontal assault and includes clips from Michelle Bachelet, Ricardo Lagos, Eduardo Frei, Sebastián Piñera, as well as Heraldo Muñez (FYI, it is in Spanish but with English subtitles). They argue that Bolivia's claim basically tries to undo the fabric of the international system, even while Chile spends millions and millions to provide port access and acts like a good neighbor.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.la-razon.com/nacional/demanda_mar%C3%ADtima/Bolivia-responde-Chile-desvirtua-contenido_0_2137586287.html">Evo Morales was not pleased</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">"Son promesas solemnes de otorgarnos el acceso soberano al mar, Bolivia no es un país sin Litoral sino que es un país privado de Litoral, ya que nació como país con 400 kilómetros de costa que le fueron arrebatados por Chile tras una invasión violenta de 1879", fundamentó. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">El Jefe de Estado boliviano argumentó que todas las naciones mediterráneas gozan de facilidades equivalentes a un acceso soberano, "mucho más que quien lo pide tuvo por más de medio siglo 120.000 kilómetros cuadrados de territorio ribereño" </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">En esa dirección, apuntó que Bolivia no presentó una demanda contraria al derecho internacional ni pretende alterar el orden mundial de límites. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">"Por el contrario si el derecho internacional fuera inmutable no se justificaría la existencia de la Corte Internacional de Justicia, que ha resuelto en justicia y en derecho decenas de disputas entre estados", dijo. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">Agregó que en el video chileno, Bachelet hace referencia a un espíritu de integración y de diálogo con Bolivia y expresó su coincidencia con esas ideas. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">"Invocó a su sensibilidad (de Bachelet) y la del pueblo chileno cuyos representantes pidieron mar para Bolivia con soberanía, ayer en Palacio de Gobierno de La Paz, para hacer realidad espíritu de hermandad y de proyección de ambas naciones en este siglo XXI, que se logrará cuando las palabras se conviertan en actos de voluntad y de buena fe", afirmó.</blockquote><br />Sorry, I don't have time to translate. If you don't read Spanish, the quick version from Morales is "you're full of crap."<br /><br />And what about the timing? <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/15/us-bolivia-chile-hague-idUSBREA3E18E20140415">Bolivia filed its case</a> with the Hague in 2013, delivered documents earlier this year, and it will take years to sort out. The latest move <a href="http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=1&code=bch&case=153&k=f3">in the case</a> was in July 2014, when the <a href="http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/153/18350.pdf">court told Bolivia</a> it had until November 2014 to respond to the Chilean argument that the court had no jurisdiction. I suppose this is some early spin, though I do wonder how many people see such a video.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-87415351149885176242014-10-05T08:16:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.494-07:00Blocking Venezuela from UN Security CouncilThe <a target="_blank" href="http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/6881184-74/venezuela-seat-council#axzz3FHdSaGnV">drumbeat to try and deny Venezuela</a> the rotating seat on the UN Security Council suffers from many logical deficiencies. I <a target="_blank" href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2014/09/venezuela-likely-to-take-security.html">wrote about this</a> before. It would be a terrible idea for the Obama administration to expend any political capital trying to accomplish it.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />1. Latin America agreed in 2006 to take turns. It is Venezuela's turn. The U.S. would therefore have to assert publicly that Latin American agreements are null and void if it doesn't approve.<br /><br />2. Given #1, the chances of success are slim to none. A failure for no reason hurts the U.S.<br /><br />3. Given #1 and #2, success would require such massive maneuvering that the U.S. would find it harder to achieve more important goals (e.g. construction of international coalitions instead of unilateral action) later.<br /><br />4. Having allies in that position doesn't necessarily work out well. Remember that Chile and Mexico blocked the Bush administration in 2003. The Bush administration's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/02/usa.iraq">strongarm tactics</a> backfired very badly.<br /><br />5. Having adversaries in that position doesn't necessarily work out badly. Venezuela is replacing Argentina, which has never been friendly and is in a bitter dispute with U.S. courts but hasn't somehow used the Security Council for nefarious purposes.<br /><br />If you support the effort to block Venezuela, you have to accept the fact that you advocate failing and losing influence for short-term symbolic reasons. That seems not to be a good use of political capital.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-85452344859684416992014-10-03T06:37:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.502-07:00Samper Enters the Venezuela FrayThe crisis in Venezuela has become increasingly entangled with Colombian politics. While they were presidents, Hugo Chávez and Alvaro Uribe sniped at each other constantly. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/02/chavez-uribe-summit-wikileaks">At a 2010 summit they even almost brawled</a>, with Raúl Castro (of all people) calming things down. After leaving the presidency, Uribe has been on a Twitter rampage, often <a href="https://twitter.com/AlvaroUribeVel/status/514747080813084672">tying the FARC to the Venezuelan government and blaming Juan Manuel Santos</a>. <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2013/07/30/venezuela-birther-movement-claims-maduro-was-born-in-colombia/">There is even a birther movement</a> claiming Maduro was born in Colombia! More recently, the Venezuelan government <a href="http://venezuelaconspiracytheories.blogspot.com/2014/09/rodriguez-torres-putting-together.html">constantly blames violence on the Colombian right</a>.<br /><br />Now there is a new twist. <a href="https://twitter.com/ernestosamperp/status/517818544814579713">Former Colombian President Ernesto Samper is blaming</a> the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29455219">murder of Robert Serra</a> on Colombian paramilitaries. In other words, the accusations usually came from Venezuela, but not they're also coming from a Colombian. As you might guess, <a href="http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/n258501.html">the Venezuelan press ate this up</a>. Especially since Samper is the new Secretary-General of UNASUR and therefore has an international platform, this Venezuela-Colombia tangle will get more attention. <a href="https://twitter.com/AlvaroUribeVel/status/518018118313328640">Uribe has responded to Maduro</a>, but I have not seen him respond to Samper. As it turns out, <a href="http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/politica/sarcasmo-de-ernesto-samper-contra-alvaro-uribe-articulo-347249?page=1">Samper has poked fun</a> at Uribe for all this tweeting, so now may become the recipient of it.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-48330015701011519692014-10-02T12:12:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.561-07:00Presidential Approval in Latin America 2014<a href="http://consulta.mx/web/images/mundo/2014/20140915_Ev_Mandatarios.pdf">Consulta Mitofsky put together a report</a> on Latin American presidential approval based on national polls. Some thoughts:<br /><br />1. <i>As always, </i>forget ideology. The populist left is both the most (Correa, Morales) and least (Maduro, Fernández) popular.<br /><br />2. On average, Central American presidents are more popular than those in North or South America. That's about the definition of "counterintuitive."<br /><br />3. When Barack Obama and Dilma Rousseff meet, at least we know they have one thing in common, which is that they similarly unpopular. Both can laugh at Stephen Harper.<br /><br />4. Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic has Alvaro Uribe-type numbers, with 89%. <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2014/08/dominican-republic">Even economists like him</a>.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-42223839812914858532014-10-01T13:08:00.000-07:002018-03-22T06:42:18.026-07:00Berating Panama for Inviting CubaSenator Robert Menendez just published a letter he sent to Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, berating him for inviting Cuba to next year's Summit of the Americas. I assume this is really aimed at a domestic audience, but this type of public calling out isn't productive for U.S.-Latin American relations.<br />
<br />
As Menendez writes:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16.6399993896484px;">At the Third Summit of the Americas in 2001, the democratically-elected leaders assembled in Quebec, Canada stated that “the maintenance and strengthening of the rule of law and strict respect for the democratic system are […] an essential condition of our presence at this and future Summits. Consequently, any unconstitutional alteration or interruption of the democratic order in a state of the Hemisphere constitutes an insurmountable obstacle to the participation of that state's government in the Summit of the Americas process.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16.6399993896484px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16.6399993896484px;">The Government of Cuba remains this hemisphere’s must enduring dictatorship, having deprived the people of Cuba of democratic rule for more than a half century. To this day, the Cuban Government continues to deny its citizens their most fundamental political and human rights, and criminalizes all forms of free expression, free association, and dissent in the country. The Government of Cuba fails to meet even the most minimal standard of democratic governance required for its participation at the Summit of the Americas.</span></blockquote>
<br />
President Obama will now have to decide whether this merits boycotting the summit. I can't imagine Panama backing down, and the only other solution would be if for some reason Cuba decided not to attend. But Panama is actively courting Cuba to come.<br />
<br />
My hunch is that before long we will start hearing public calls for such a boycott. At that point Obama has to decide whether he cares about the political fallout from ignoring those calls, which would mostly entail accusations of being soft on dictatorships (which will inevitably get tied to being too soft on Assad, etc., etc.). [Incidentally, the boycotters will not discuss whether the U.S. should use the same logic with, say, Saudi Arabia.]<br />
<br />
I suppose this could also be seen as an issue for the 2016 presidential election, given the strong feelings of at least some Cuban Americans in Florida. But I have a hard time believing that participation in a summit will still generate such strong sentiment over a year later. In any case, as time goes on, Cuban Americans are looking more like the average voter and do not vote based solely on U.S. Cuba policy.<br />
<br />
Attending the summit may not yield a lot, but it will at the very least avoid digging a deeper hole. The United States has isolated itself badly in the region with regard to Cuba, and our strategy has failed miserable for many years. I assume boycott supporters will argue that it would be a potent symbol of standing with the Cuban people, but right now we're not doing them any good.<br />
<br />
Further, there is plenty of criticism of the OAS in the United States, arguing that it should be strengthened and improved, but not attending the summit will ironically undermine it even more, while sending signals that Latin America should move on without U.S. participation.<br />
<br />
This is one fairly rare occasion when I agree with Andres Oppenheimer, who says Obama should attend but find a prominent way to push Cuba on human rights. We're in a deep enough hole already.<br />
If you are looking for drunk driving attorney mesa then read the info .somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-21526159457049186312014-10-01T06:44:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.614-07:00Kissinger and Cuba<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/world/americas/kissinger-drew-up-plans-to-attack-cuba-records-show.html?_r=0">Henry Kissinger wanted to attack Cuba</a> in 1976 because Fidel Castro invaded Angola (<a href="http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB487/">here is the link</a> to the documents at the National Security Archive--as always, the documents are fascinating). This is all coming from the new book by Peter Kornbluh and William LeoGrande new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Channel-Cuba-Negotiations-Washington/dp/1469617633/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412167490&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=leogrnade" style="font-style: italic;">Back Channel to Cuba</a>, which looks great.<br /><i><br /></i>There is so much here. It's Henry Kissinger in all his glory, with threats, exaggerations, and vanity. Some things in particular struck me.<br /><br />First, Kissinger was offended that Cuba invaded just as the U.S. was negotiating better relations, and he couldn't understand it. This reminded me of Nicolás Maduro, where suddenly he'll shift from "I want to improve relations" to kicking some U.S. official out. In fact, Castro did not and Maduro does not want fully normalized relations because it removes an important domestic foil for them.<br /><br />Second, in all of the talks about normalization, <a href="http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB487/docs/09%20-%20Memorandum%20of%20Conversation,%20Pierre%20Hotel%20U.S.-Cuba%20Meeting,%20July%209,%201975.pdf">the Cubans keep repeating</a> that ending the embargo is the only way to really get things going. Since the U.S. negotiators wouldn't promise that, in a sense they were fairly doomed from the start anyway. Lawrence Eagleburger quickly catches on that the Cubans are differentiating between <i>discussions</i>, which they are happy to pursue, and <i>negotiations</i>, which they are not.<br /><br />Third, Kissinger's "pipsqueak" comment falls perfectly within the history of U.S.-Cuban relations. Lars Schoultz wrote an entire book (<i><a href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2009/05/lars-schoultzs-that-infernal-little.html">That Infernal Little Cuban Republic</a></i>) examining the frustration of successive U.S. officials that this tiny country was not succumbing to U.S. pressure. During the Cold War, this became a question of credibility--if a tiny country could resist us, then we look weak.<br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-59164014668383171062014-09-30T08:26:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.625-07:00Brazil Election and the Latin American Left<a href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2014/09/marina-silva-and-foreign-policy.html">Earlier this month I noted</a> how both Marina Silva and Dilma Rousseff favored moving closer to the United States. Silva also favored pushing Cuba on human rights. And it seems she is making the left nervous. <a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/opinion/Dilma-o-Marina-20140929-0103.html">See this op-ed by Emir Sader, reprinted at Telesur</a>.<br /><br />It's a little strange to read, with Rousseff given the role of a radical who is fighting for Latin American independence. Silva is the U.S. toady and Cardoso clone, and the campaign is the epitome of the fight between social justice and neoliberalism. Plus, Silva is not sufficiently what you might call "pro-institutions that exclude the United States":<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Las dos –Dilma y Marina– tienen significados radicalmente opuestos. Dilma, la continuidad y profundización de las trasformaciones realizadas por el gobierno Lula y por su propio gobierno. La consolidación y extensión de los acuerdos de integración regional que Brasil impulsa, del Mercosur a los Brics, pasando por Unasur, Celac, Banco del Sur y Consejo Suramericano de Defensa.</span></blockquote><br />It made me wonder what the Venezuelan and Cuban governments think of this race. They may well see the stakes this high as well. Silva has in fact <a href="http://www.brazzil.com/info/138-september-2014/23904-brazil-presidential-candidate-marina-silva-vows-to-promote-democracy-in-cuba-if-elected">received pushback</a> for her Cuba comments. Everyone is trying to guess what diplomatic direction she might take.<br /><br />This reminds me a bit of other elections, such as Peru, where speculation raged about Ollanta Humala. <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/161180/ollanta-humalas-win-peru-joins-latin-americas-left-turn#">In 2011 Greg Grandin wrote</a>, "Add Peru to the list of Latin American countries that have turned left." That meant moving more toward Brazil and away from the United States.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">In terms of foreign policy, Humala’s election is another victory for Brazil in its contest with Washington for regional influence. If Fujimori had won, she would have aligned Peru politically with Washington and economically with US and Canadian corporations.</span></blockquote><br />Three years later, Peru is joining the Pacific Alliance and will be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership,<br /><br />In Brazil, we'll have to wait and see. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/23/us-brazil-election-idUSKCN0HI1B920140923">Rousseff has rebounded</a> so this may all be moot.somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-59155106339298747782014-09-30T02:32:00.001-07:002014-09-30T02:32:37.536-07:00politic channelpolitic channelsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-58885129674788990962014-09-29T06:25:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.678-07:00Making the Colombia Peace Talks Public<a href="http://thisisadamsblog.com/post/98391631239/colombias-draft-peace-accords-are-now-public">Via Adam Isacson</a>, <a href="https://www.mesadeconversaciones.com.co/documentos-y-comunicados">here are all the documents</a> associated with the negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC. One point he makes is how reasonable the proposals seem to be. <a href="https://www.mesadeconversaciones.com.co/sites/default/files/Borrador%20Conjunto%20-%20Soluci%C3%B3n%20al%20problema%20de%20las%20drogas%20il%C3%ADcitas.pdf">In the document on drugs</a>, for example, there is careful discussion of rural development, voluntary crop substitution, technical support, protection of the environment, a focus on public health, judicial reform, and the like. It's ambitious, yes, but a tremendous step forward.<br /><br />In fact, showing that fact is really the main reason they decided to go public with what are obviously very sensitive and fluid proposals. <a href="https://www.mesadeconversaciones.com.co/comunicados/comunicado-conjunto-la-habana-24-de-septiembre-de-2014?ver=es">Here's </a>the public statement:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">Sin embargo, persisten todo tipo de especulaciones sobre lo acordado. Especulaciones que son producto unas veces del desconocimiento de los comunicados y los informes, y otras de una intención clara de desinformar a la opinión pública.</span></blockquote>Quick and dirty translation:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">However, all kinds of speculation persist about the agreements. This speculation is sometimes the product of a lack of knowledge about the communications and reports, and sometimes from a clear intention to mislead public opinion.</blockquote><br />The point is to counter criticism, especially from Alvaro Uribe. <a href="http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2014/09/28/nota/4046291/expresidente-alvaro-uribe-arremete-nuevo-contra-acuerdos-gobierno">He fired back</a> yesterday, saying the plans somehow were giving in to terrorism and that they were intentionally complex so that they would never be fulfilled. He'll never be satisfied, of course, but now everyone can take their own look and come to their own conclusions. He'll be fighting a more uphill rhetorical battle as a result.<br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-20675010499969691372014-09-27T05:13:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.686-07:00Explaining Sluggish Growth in Latin AmericaThe <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2014/09/24-macroeconomic-outlook-latin-america-talvi">Brookings Institute has a short and gloomy analysis </a>of economic performance in Latin America. They base the gloom on the fact that Latin American economic growth is sluggish right now even though the "external environment" is very favorable, whereas previous dips corresponding with poor external conditions and the economies recovered when those conditions improved.<br /><br />Here's the chart they base the argument on:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/09/27/185.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/09/27/s_185.jpg' border='0' width='280' height='194' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />This is really a classic case of confusing correlation and causation. "External environment" is defined very narrowly and indeed arbirtrarily as a few major crises. Those crises fit the argument, but in the absence of testing other possibilities, we can only say there is correlation, not causation.<br /><br />Most prominently, we know Latin America depends heavily on commodities. We also know China has been buying commodities. Yet in the past few years <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/china/gdp-growth-annual">China's growth is slowing</a>. It is therefore reasonable to hypothesize that the current sluggishness stems from that. It's correlation until we do more work to show causation, but it's at least more precise than their analysis.<br /><br />Along similar lines, since Latin America exports commodities we need also look at commodity prices. As it turns out, <a target="_blank" href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-corn-and-soy-futures-sink-to-new-four-year-lows-1411506479">corn and soy</a> are at four year lows. This would take much more work, but we could hypothesize that dropping commodity prices (or dig down and specify what commodities in what countries) are causing weak economic growth.<br /><br />Their analysis <i>could</i> be right. Maybe. I feel there are plenty of ignored independent variables that likely do a better job of explaining the dependent variable of growth rates. You don't know until you test them, and if you don't test them at all, then you don't have much of an analytical foundation.<br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-26822082839163547672014-09-26T04:56:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.750-07:00SOUTHCOM RoundtableI participated in a policy roundtable at U.S. Southern Command focusing on the positives and negatives of U.S. policy toward Latin America in the past decade. That included writing a 5-7 page paper based on our presentations--I am polishing up mine, and I think they're eventually going to be posted on the website of FIU's Latin America and Caribbean Center.<br /><br />The thrust of my comments was the U.S. actually is seen positively in Latin America. There are numerous studies showing popular opinion in this direction, and in Brazil you have a president and left-leaning candidate both saying they want to improve relations. So there is tremendous potential. But on certain issues--esp. drugs, immigration, and Cuba--we see a disjuncture between strategies employed and policy goals we want to achieve. In large part because of domestic politics, the U.S. is inflexible on these issues (I cite, for example, Bolivia's alternative drug strategies that show promise but the U.S. government rejects) and that isolates us.<br /><br />At any rate, there was a lot of interesting discussion that I am still chewing on. As I was thinking during my trip home, I wonder how to figure out a "Goldilocks" policy. We do not want zero attention to Latin America but we also do not want too much crisis-ridden attention. What we want is mid-range, proactive attention. That may or may not be politically feasible.<br /><br />On a different note, it struck me how many Latin Americanists are on Twitter--practically all the participants except General Kelly himself. And after years of communicating through social media (I think not long after I started blogging 8+ years ago) I finally met <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloggingsbyboz.com">Boz</a> in person. He is the latest in an amazingly long list of Latin Americanists I've come to know through blogging and tweeting.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-16549613639450277982014-09-24T08:33:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.757-07:00Venezuela's GoldIt sounds almost medieval. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-24/bofa-peeks-inside-venezuela-s-gold-valut-for-closer-look.html">People want a look at Venezuela's $15 billion in gold</a> to provide assurance for investment. From B of A economist Francisco Rodriguez, who got to see it:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2b2c; font-family: akzidenz-grotesk-std-bloom, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.3125em; margin-bottom: 28px;">In a Sept. 23 note to clients, Rodriguez said the “rare” visit was “largely symbolic yet reassuring.”<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2b2c; font-family: akzidenz-grotesk-std-bloom, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.3125em; margin-bottom: 28px;">“It’s not that the majority of the people doubt that the gold is there,” he said over the telephone. “But it’s one of these things that linger, something that’s nagging you and makes you wonder: What if it’s not?”</blockquote><br />This can easily be spun as conspiratorial. The crazed fascist right spreads rumors about whether there is in fact any gold. Yet <a href="http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2014/09/venezuela-default-headline.html">Rodriguez is one of the people refuting Ricardo Huasmann's suggestion</a> that Venezuela should default.<br /><br />Oil prices are falling, economic reforms aren't happening, while <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-18/venezuela-default-naysayers-undermined-by-s-and-p-cut-andes-credit">perception of risk</a> is increasing and <a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Investigations-Show-Ecuador-Coup-Attempt-Was-Preplanned-20140923-0019.html">so it's getting more expensive</a> for Venezuela to borrow. Outside of the Venezuelan government, it seems harder and harder to find optimistic views of the economy (<a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/component/option,com_issues/issue,30/lang,en/task,view_issue/">not even from the Center for Economic and Policy Research</a>). The "glass half full" argument is just "with oil they won't default."somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-6203887935207721682014-09-23T03:44:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.826-07:00Pacific AlliancingMichelle Bachelet, Juan Manuel Santos, Enrique Peña Nieto, and Ollanta Humala have <a target="_blank" href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-latam-comment22-20140922-story.html">a joint op-ed</a> about the Pacific Alliance. Its basic thrust is that the free movement of goods and people will improve welfare.<br /><br />One interesting point to consider is that both Bachelet and Humala were bashed when they took office for being leftists (remarkably, this was true even just recently for Bachelet). Santos, meanwhile, is center-right but bashed by his predecessor for, among other things, being willing to reach out to the left. So all the easy ideological labels don't work too well.<br /><br />This is also notable for the "losing Latin America" argument I've periodically tried to counter. A majority of Latin American countries are market-oriented, which has consistently been a U.S. policy goal. Like it or not, it's reality. The Pacific Alliance is a good example of how Latin American countries can actually come together in pursuit of something the U.S. favors but is not directing. That's hardly "losing." It just means that leading is not synonymous with directing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-55218206027813824662014-09-22T08:46:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.834-07:00College Costs and State Legislatures<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/upshot/why-federal-college-ratings-wont-rein-in-tuition.html?hpw&rref=business&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=1&abt=0002&abg=0">Major kudos to economist Susan Dynarski for articulating</a> what many of us in public universities see up close. In short, the reason tuition has been increasing so much is that state legislatures are paying less and less per student.<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;"><br /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;">In 1988, state legislatures gave their public colleges an average of $8,600 a student. Students contributed an additional $2,700 in tuition, which gets us to a total of $11,300. By 2013, states were kicking in just $6,100, while students were contributing $5,400; this gets us to a total of $11,500.</span> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;">As far as students are concerned, public tuition has doubled. As far as public colleges are concerned, funding is flat. </span> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;">At public colleges, then, the explanation for rising tuition prices isn’t spiraling costs. The costs are the same, but the burden of paying those costs has shifted from state taxpayers to students.</span></blockquote><br />The last point is really important. It is common to hear about rich presidents, too many assistant provosts, extravagant dorms, and the like, ignoring the question of state funding entirely. Some of these arguments have merit, but they are not the core problem (and, in fact, increased oversight demands sometimes requires new administrative positions we'd rather not be forced to create, but the paperwork is literally overwhelming otherwise). The most pressing problem is that state legislatures too often just don't want to provide the necessary funding. Therefore the burden goes to the student.<br /><br />She goes on to note how President Obama's ideas about using ratings will not work too well, in large part because there is such a huge difference in-state and out-of-state tuition. If you think one state system to too expensive, you can't go to another state and get a deal unless you become a resident.<br /><br />Well worth a read--I hope it gets traction.<br /><br />h/t <a href="http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2014/09/simple-facts-on-state-colleges-and-universities.html">Tyler Cowen</a>somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-79986323856464186782014-09-20T05:44:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.879-07:00Trade Within Latin America<a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.cfr.org/oneil/2014/09/19/south-south-trade-and-latin-america/">Shannon O'Neil notes</a> the increase in "South-South" trade, meaning between Latin American countries. Two points in particular are worth briefly expanding on:<br /><br />First, it is true that trade with China with increasing. But so is trade with a lot of countries. If you cherry pick China numbers only, then you end up with all the op-eds about China gaining power (she does not actually make this point--it's just my pet peeve). When you look at the bigger picture, what you see is diversification, which is a positive development. As she notes, Latin America has more to gain with intra-regional trade than with China.<br /><br />Second, the glass half empty part of the equation is that trade diversification is not the same as product diversification. While it's good to have more diverse trading partners, it's not as valuable in the long-term when you're exporting soy (or whatever) to all of them.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-3541160292885051972014-09-18T12:35:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.886-07:00Richard Blanco's For All Of Us, One TodayI read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Us-One-Today-Inaugural/dp/0807033804/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411066755&sr=1-1&keywords=for+all+of+us+one+today">Richard Blanco's <i>For All Of Us, One Today</i></a>, which is a short memoir of the 2012 Inaugural Poet. I came away with two impressions. One, he's a great poet. <a href="http://richard-blanco.com/book/city-of-a-hundred-fires/america/" target="_blank">His poem América</a>, for example, is too cool. Second, what a nice guy. He's committed to expressing what it means to be American and an immigrant, with an unjaded wonder.<br /><br />As he grapples with writing an inaugural poem, he asks himself if he truly loves America:<br /><br /><blockquote>I discovered that <i>yes, I truly loved America</i>, but not with a blind love or blind patriotism. Rather, with a love that's much like loving another person, a love that demands effort, asks us to give and take and forgive and constantly examine promises spoken and unspoken (p. 32).</blockquote><br /><br />What a great way to describe "love of country," which otherwise is too often a blind thing.<br /><br />What I also liked was how his Cuban family revered poets, yet Americans don't. He notes how in school he never anything by a living poet. I saw myself there because I am not really into poetry, perhaps mostly because I don't have any exposure.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981488208778125822.post-27590417852965807552014-09-18T08:23:00.000-07:002014-10-13T07:54:09.932-07:00Marina Silva and Foreign Policy<a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/09/18/brazil-front-running-presidential-candidate-marina-silva-gives-1st-interview/">Marina Silva said in an interview</a> that she would seek improved ties with the United States and also would push Cuba harder on democracy and human rights.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px;">In a wide-ranging, hour-long interview, Silva said that as president she would seek bilateral trade deals and better relations with the U.S. and Europe, and would push for improved human rights in allies such as Cuba.</span> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Asked whether she would continue Brazil's strong investment in and political support for regimes like Cuba, Venezuela, China and Iran, Silva said that dialogue is essential with each — but that her personal convictions mean Brazil would be more vocal in pushing human rights. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"The best way to help the Cuban people is by understanding that they can make a transition from the current regime to democracy, and that we don't need to cut any type of relations," she said. "It's enough that we help through the diplomatic process, so that these (human rights) values are pursued.</blockquote><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Both of those are nice to hear. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/10/us-brazil-usa-espionage-idUSKBN0FF2H820140710">Dilma Rousseff has already been smoothing over</a> relations with the U.S., so it appears that U.S.-Brazilians will improve no matter who wins. At least as long as there are no more revelations of counterproductive U.S. behavior.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Further, it is refreshing to hear this about Cuba, which is too rarely heard around Latin America. It is entirely possible to engage a country while also saying it should be more democratic and respect the human rights of its own people. </div>somehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651187318615103220noreply@blogger.com0